Roman authority for maintaining law and order within his jurisdiction. This accounts, in part at least, for the concern expressed by the city recorder when the people of Ephesus had been stirred up by the Ephesian silversmiths over the preaching done by the apostle Paul. It was a disorderly mob, an illegal assembly in the theater. There was the liability of a charge of sedition, as the city recorder pointed out to the people. He feared that the Romans would hold him personally responsible.

Civic magistrates (Gr., po·li·tarʹkhai) before whom Jason and other Christians were dragged by an angry mob in Thessalonica. (Ac 17:5-8) Regarding the use of the Greek term, G. Ernest Wright says: “An inscription on this gate [the Vardar Gate from Thessalonica], now in the British Museum, mentions some city officials called ‘politarchs’. A number of other inscriptions contain the same word. In Acts 17:6 this term is also used as the name of the officials before whom Christians were dragged during the riot caused by Paul’s preaching. The word is otherwise unknown in extant Greek literature and the archaeological information is a confirmation of the accuracy of Luke’s narrative at this point.”​—Biblical Archaeology, 1962, p. 260; see ARCHAEOLOGY (Relating to the Christian Greek Scriptures).

A large social group having a common inheritance, and resembling a tribe in magnitude.

In all three instances where the Hebrew word ʼum·mahʹ occurs, it refers to a large group of non-Israelites and is translated “clan.” Descendants of Ishmael’s 12 sons, for example, are described as “clans” early in the history of that ethnic group. (Ge 25:16) The same is true of the descendants of Midian. (Nu 25:15) The term is also found in Hebrew poetry at Psalm 117:1, where it appears in a parallelism with “nations.”

The Hebrew word sheʹvet, which is usually rendered “tribe,” is translated “clan” at Numbers 18:2. This is an exceptional instance to show the distinction the Hebrew text makes, for in this verse the two words mat·tehʹ and sheʹvet appear, both of which are normally rendered “tribe.”

(Clauʹdi·a).

A Christian woman at Rome whose greetings Paul included in his second letter to Timothy.​—2Ti 4:21.

(Clauʹdi·us).

Fourth emperor of Rome; son of Drusus the brother of Tiberius, and uncle of Caligula, whom he followed to the throne in 41 C.E. Claudius was not very strong physically or in willpower, and though he was interested in history, writing, and other academic pursuits, his predecessors thought him mentally incompetent to handle the reins of power and therefore favored others as successors. However, during the tumult following Caligula’s assassination, the Praetorian Guard prevailed and had Claudius proclaimed Emperor. One of his supporters in this power struggle was Herod Agrippa I, whom Claudius rewarded by confirming his kingship and by adding Judea and Samaria to his domains. Claudius also managed to win the favor of the Senate. His fourth wife reportedly poisoned him with mushrooms in 54 C.E., in the 14th year of his reign. Nero then came to power.

“A great famine . . . upon the entire inhabited earth” was foretold by the prophet Agabus, “which, for that matter, did take place in the time of Claudius.” This precipitated “a relief ministration” on the part of the Christians in Antioch for their brothers in Jerusalem and Judea. (Ac 11:27-30) Such a famine in Palestine in the reign of Claudius is called by Josephus (Jewish Antiquities, XX, 49-53 [ii, 5]; XX, 101 [v, 2]) the “great famine,” and is dated about 46 C.E.

“Claudius . . . ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome,” issuing his decree in 49 or early 50 C.E., in the ninth year of his reign. The Roman biographer and historian Suetonius corroborates Claudius’ banishment of the Jews from Rome. (The Lives of the Caesars, Claudius, XXV, 4) As a consequence of this expulsion order, two Christian Jews, Aquila and Priscilla, left Rome for Corinth, where not long after their arrival they met the apostle Paul upon his reaching there probably in the fall of the year 50 C.E. (Ac 18:1-3) Toward the beginning of his reign, Claudius had been favorably disposed toward the Jews, even ordering toleration in their behalf and granting them various freedoms throughout the empire. It appears, however, that numerous Jews in Rome were rather riotous, resulting in Claudius’ expelling them from the city.

(Clauʹdi·us Lysʹi·as).

Military commander of the Roman garrison at Jerusalem when the apostle Paul last visited there, about 56 C.E. As a military commander (chiliarch), Claudius Lysias had 1,000 men under his command. His Greek name Lysias suggests that he was a Greek by birth. He acquired Roman citizenship for a large sum of money probably during the reign of Claudius, at which time, as was customary among those procuring citizenship, he adopted the name of the ruling emperor. (Ac 22:28; 23:26) According to the Roman historian Dio Cassius, early in the reign of Emperor Claudius,